Jeff Daniels Wins Lead Actor Emmy in Night’s Biggest Shocker

The clock is ticking on Jon Hamm winning an Emmy for his iconic turn as Don Draper on “Mad Men.” Hugh Laurie, who made “House” one of the biggest broadcast dramas of the past decade, never won for his work as Gregory House.

But Jeff Daniels, star of HBO’s critically-panned “The Newsroom,” joined the winners’ group Sunday.

In the night’s biggest upset, Daniels beat out Hamm, Kevin Space, Bryan Cranston, Damian Lewis and Hugh Bonneville to claim the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Though Daniels’ performance as news anchor Will McAvoy is considered one of the Aaron Sorkin drama’s few bright spots, he was not remotely considered a frontrunner for the Emmy.